Place Your Bets!
by Miss Pavalova
Summary: When a New Year strikes, it seems that those oblivious become much less. Those who knew beforehand take initiative, sparking up a dangerous game. Are you all ready to place your bets?


Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail in any way, shape or form.

I know next to _nothing _about bets, so if the format of the bet within the story sounds weird, I apologize. I tried to explain it clearly though, since it's a bit different. I hope you all enjoy this large piece of fluff that's been sitting patiently for its debut!

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><p><strong>Place Your Bets!<strong>

Everyone knew it. You'd have to be blind _not _to see it.

Wait – Even the _blind _could see it. (Not to be offensive to the blind though...)

They were meant to be. It was as simple as that.

Yet the _only _two people, who couldn't see it, were the couple themselves!

The members of Fairy Tail were getting sick and tired of it.

But it seemed that somewhere in the Heavens above, a true angel had pitied on them.

On New Year's Eve, everyone in the Guild was celebrating the end of the past year and the beginning of the new one. The countdown had reached its finale, and there were only ten second to the start of the New Year. Everyone was revved up, the drinking and partying in full swing.

10!

Mirajane had watched them from the beginning of the night like a hawk, hoping that she could catch at least a _glimpse _of the couple being – well – 'couple like'.

9!

There hadn't been a chance though, so she just stood with her siblings, waiting for the fireworks that their favorite team in the Guild was preparing.

8!

The Guild members were waiting. Thankfully, they actually _had _eyes and could see the obvious sexual tension that lurked between the pair. At that very moment, they were arguing about some little insignificant thing like most _married _couples would, and the fact that they were doing so made the nakama feel even more frustrated.

7! 6! 5!

Mirajane sighed. Was she wrong all along?

4!

She knew about the tradition where people who were with each other the moment it struck midnight would have to share a New Year's kiss, but the thought of it happening between them seemed so fleeting.

3!

She looked back at the pair and was surprised when she saw their intimate position. She knew Natsu was a little tipsy, so he probably wouldn't have done that if he _was _sober, but seeing them in such a position nearly brought her to hysterics.

Natsu had held her locked in an embrace, his arms wrapped around her waist. Lucy was just wide-eyed, gaping at the daring move.

2!

Mira squealed, nearly falling to the ground from happiness. Everyone stared wide-eyed at her before turning their gaze over to where she was staring. They were all surprised as the gap between the pair was slowly closing.

1!

The space between their lips was only an inch apart.

"Happy New Year!" the Guild members cried out as the pre-set fireworks launched themselves into the air. It was the absolute perfect backdrop for the moment Fairy Tail's most prized couple was sharing. The kiss seemed passionate, but it only lasted for a moment.

Once they parted, it seemed that Natsu had no recognition of what the hell had just happened as he began laughing and blabbering wildly for no absolute reason. Lucy stood there, still dumbfounded by Natsu's actions. Her nakama made disgruntled faces when they realized that nothing would probably come out of the kiss.

Mirajane knew better. It would mean that at least _one_ of them knows how intimate their relationship had gone to, and one was the only thing that she needed to start it.

It would become one of Fairy Tail's most infamous tales to tell for the rest of history.

**..O..**

They had all assembled, with the exception of'_The Couple_', in the Guild later on that first day of the New Year. '_The Couple_' as Mirajane had now preferred to call it were in their own respective homes, or sleeping soundly in Lucy's bed (which is the more plausible possibility).

They had _all_ seen what had happened that night before, and weren't surprised in the least when Mirajane had called a meeting to discuss it.

"So..." she began, her tone ecstatic as she kept replaying the event in her mind. "I'm guessing you all know why we're here, right?"

"I seriously don't want to talk about what Pinky and Bunny-Girl did last night. Can we just go back to normal already?" Gajeel grumbled in annoyance, folding his arms in front of his chest as a sign of protest. Levy smacked him on the arm.

"Gajeel, there _is _no 'normal' in the Fairy Tail dictionary," Mira stated, as if the fact were obvious enough. "I just wanted to ask if we all wanted to make a betting pool."

Her nakama's ears perked up as the picked up the word 'bet'. She knew that she had piqued their interests and continued further.

"I think that we should all make a bet about this," Mirajane said slyly, a smirk appearing on her features. "It's an easy way for everyone to get some more Jewels in their pocket, and to finally see those two be together _and_ the person who wins would have bragging rights good enough for a couple of months. What do you all think?"

They all exchanged glances before stopping their gaze at Mira. Gray leaned forward, a cocky smirk forming upon his face. "We're all in Mira."

Mira's grin could've beaten a Cheshire cat's. "Excellent! Now, in this bet, you'll all have to choose a specific date on when you think they will get together. Just a single day; nothing more, nothing less." Her nakama exchanged glances once again, though this time they were skeptical. "It makes this whole bet more exciting, don't you think? It's just a win it or lose it scenario."

Levy thought the proposal over. "So you're saying that we can choose any date within the year. Say, the first of February, and that would be when we think one of them will finally crack and confess?" Mira nodded, happy that someone understood her.

The members began to mumble, suddenly fearful of being in the bet. Mira smiled at them sweetly, though they could sense the demonic aura oozing out of her. "You guys can't back out now!"

Erza sighed. "Fine then. We're still all in, agreed?" The rest of the nakama nodded their heads firmly. "Then Mira, can you elaborate more?"

Mira nodded again. "Well, let's all put in... 100 Jewels. And seeing as there are... 41 of us right now, that'll total up to..."

"4100 Jewels," Levy clarified, smiling brightly at her small contribution.

Mira nodded gracefully at her. "Thank you Levy. So it would all add up to 4100 Jewels. It may not be much but..."

Elfman shook his head. "Sister! That total is not man enough for us all! We need to raise the bar! I say that we all put in 200 Jewels! Double the amount! _That _is manlier!"

They all stared oddly at the muscled man before turning their gazes back to Mira, who looked as if she were in deep concentration. After a few moments, she spoke. "Well, if you all believe that it would be alright, I don't mind at all." They all muttered and nodded their heads. "Great! Let's raise the stakes then! 200 Jewels from _everyone _here; which would add up to 8100 for the winner. Okay, I would now like everyone to choose a date from _here!"_

They all stood wide-eyed when Mira grabbed a large scroll from under the table. Once she rolled it out, they all realized that it was a calendar. They then began to analyze the piece carefully, checking each and every date and using their gut to pick one out.

As they did, Mira began explaining. "Alright; this scroll depicts the calendar, as you can all see. It _is _magic as well, if that weren't obvious yet. Its magic is perfectly tailored for this little bet we've got going on here. You are now all looking to choose a date, right? Well, once you have decided a date, press one of your fingers down on _that _date. It will record your name down in the empty space below. Each time someone's day passes with nothing happening between the pair, your name will be crossed out. If the New Year comes by without any confessions, well, we all lose our money, which we can give charitably to _'The Couple_'. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads, eyes never leaving the scroll. After a few minutes, some brave members stepped up and chose their dates. After half-an-hour, nearly everyone had moved away from the scroll, already having chosen their date. The only ones left there were Levy, Cana, Juvia, Erza, Lisanna and Mira; all of whom were having an intense staring competition with the parchment in front of them.

Another agonizing thirty minutes went past when finally, Mira, the last girl, chose her date. Once done, she wrapped the scroll back up and moved to her bar, where she stored the parchment in a compartment. Mira then turned to them.

"One more thing," she began, giving them all a hard stare. "No-one, and I mean _no-one _is allowed to meddle with them on a grand scale. They'll have to figure this all out _by themselves_." At hearing that, they all groaned, knowing that those who placed later dates might have had a better chance, which in turn was still slim. Mira gave them all a smile. "That means no obvious talks about telling them to 'wake up and smell the roses' but, you can meddle just a _tiny _bit. Probably just a casual bump here or there, or something else to make the realization process run... _quicker_. I wish you all the best of luck!"

They all exchanged glances for the final time, and realized that they had entered a battlefield, where you wouldn't know _who _was the enemy.

**..O..**

A few gutsy people had believed that '_Confession Day_' was the 1st of January itself. They were all prepared, sitting in their seats and acting perfectly normal. But, underneath the façade of normality lurked the extreme urge to win.

Anxious eyes flickered back and forth between the doors and the Guild members. Suspicions arose every time someone dared make a move that was unusual. Each time someone walked through the doors, heads would flip up, only to turn back down, disappointed.

Wendy and Gajeel were the first to know about the coming arrival of _'The Couple_'. Once the scent of burning wood and vanilla filled their nostrils, their heads both turned, eyes intent to gaze at the door. Some of the more observant members of the Guild knew what it meant when the Dragon Slayers perked their heads up, and followed in suit.

A few moments later, the doors crashed open and welcomed an arguing Natsu and Lucy, Happy tagging along silently behind them. It seemed that Lucy was shouting at Natsu for an unspecified reason (probably about his habit of sleeping in Lucy's bed), while Natsu looked like... well, he looked like crap.

Natsu had dark circles under his eyes, and seemed to wince every time Lucy spoke a word. He had one hand placed on the side of his head, his fingers rubbing the area in a soothing motion. He groaned with each step he took, and was hunched like an old man. They noticed Happy snicker periodically each time Natsu stopped in his tracks and leaned against Lucy, trying to calm the whirlwind of pain in his head. Lucy flushed each time he did, but never spoke anything of it.

People who had bet on that day looked at each other cautiously, before standing up to go around and observe the couple, looking for any point where they could intrude and _help_. Natsu groaned once more as Lucy began dragging him, an unflattering scowl on her face.

"Wendy!" Lucy cried, her tone a tad bit desperate. "Could you help this idiot a bit. It seems that he's got himself a hangover, and I'm not going to help him!"

Natsu groaned again. "Why didn't you help me L-Lucy! Y-You're usually n-nicer th-than this!" he whined, leaning against her once more. The faint flush that covered Lucy's cheeks grew even darker as she turned away, clearly attempting to ignore the Dragon Slayer.

Wendy sighed and hopped off of her seat, already walking in the direction of the medical room. "Okay. Lucy, I think it would be good if you come with him while I'm there. Just... as back-up. Is that alright?"

Lucy nodded, confirming Wendy's request and began dragging Natsu away, the young Dragon Slayer looking ready to barf all over her heels. Wendy waited for the two of them to pass her before turning her head back to meet with her nakama. Surprising all of them, she gave a mischievous grin before heading off.

The members just stared, wondering if the little bet was bringing out the best or the worst of them.

**..O..**

Lucy sighed. Her mind was filled with a jumbled mess of thoughts, all echoing from the night before. Just thinking about it made her blush like a middle-school girl.

It was _Natsu_. Just _Natsu_. Her teammate, her partner, her _best friend_. It was nothing more than _that_. What had happened before was nothing more than a drunken mistake on _his _part. It was just _her _mistake not to push him away before...

She groaned, hitting her head against the blanketed bed. Natsu was sleeping on that exact bed, and Lucy had been given the task of taking care of him. _Why _she was doing it, she was unsure. Wendy had given him the right spells and whatnot, but then stated that Mira had tasked her to go shopping for more medical supplies. Not wanting to break a promise, she had begged Lucy to stay with Natsu until he got better, which after a few minutes, she had agreed to, albeit reluctantly.

She then began to wonder if she was mentally stable.

A groan from somewhere above alerted her that Natsu was awake. She attempted to scramble up from her last position without looking like a fool. Seeing as she tripped back on her chair and fell down marvelously, it was safe to say that she had failed.

Natsu snorted, and she shot him a hard scowl.

"What're you doing here?" he asked bluntly, scratching the back of his head. "Isn't Wendy supposed to be taking care of me?"

Lucy muttered something incoherent before getting off of the floor and onto the end of the bed, near where his feet lay under the blanket. "Wendy went out to get some more medical supplies, since Mira asked her. You seem to be _perfectly _fine now as well, so why are you worrying moron?"

Natsu mumbled before ripping the blanket off of him and hopping off the bed. This caused Lucy to jump up as well, but not as balanced. She managed to once again, topple over, but this time, taking the Dragon Slayer with her.

With an emphasized 'oomph' they landed on the wooden floor. Lucy wondered why her fall wasn't as hard as the one she took earlier. But then, when she felt a low grumbling from right below her, realization set in. She looked up to see herself lying on top of Natsu, her face only an inch or two away from his.

Reddening even worse than she had before, she pushed away from him. Natsu looked over at her direction, Lucy's weird actions confusing him thoroughly. He decided to question them. "Lucy? Are you okay? You don't seem fine right now. Are you sick? Do you have a hangover?"

Lucy's eyes went wide when he heard his concern. She then shook her head slowly. "N-No. I'm fine. I just... need some fresh air!"

And without another word, she dashed out of the room, leaving Natsu to wonder what in Earthland was wrong with his favorite weirdo.

**..O..**

In the end, January 1st had come out a dud. So did the rest of the days of January. Every time a day that had been bet on passed, another person was marked off the calendar. Soon enough, only 30 remained from the 41 competing.

Mirajane looked at the scroll once more and saw the impending date which _many_ had bet on. If that day passed with no confessions, half of the remaining competitors would be wiped out. If they won... well, she got no money.

She smirked, knowing that it was just too _soon _for them to admit it. Lucy was stubborn, Natsu was dense. It was simple enough to understand that a confession wouldn't happen so early in the year.

Although, '_The Couple_' may just yet to surprise her.

**..O..**

February 14th; what _many _people believed was '_Confession Day_'. Mirajane, being the hopeless romantic herself, decided to liven up the mood by decorating the Guild in all things... _romantic_. Roses, hearts and pink; those were the things that clouded her nakama's vision that day, which left them all disgruntled.

Lucy was sitting at the bar, groaning at how ridiculous Valentine's Day was. Most of her nakama did agree with her. The only one that seemed to be enthusiastic about the holiday was Mirajane, who was out to '_spread the love_'.

Through the last month, it seemed that her stupid feelings were trying to mess up her _platonic _relationship with Natsu. She tried to reassure herself that they were _just friends _but then the next second, some random occurrence would make her bump into Natsu and make her look like a total klutz.

Being totally caught up in her thoughts, she wouldn't have realized that it wasn't just karma trying to piss her off. Instead, karma had a couple of helpers known as Fairy Tail itself. (Yet she wouldn't know that fact too.)

She groaned again, trying to sort out her selfish problems. Sadly, it was just another thing that she was failing.

**..O..**

Natsu walked up to the Guild with a spring in his step. He had a gut feeling that the day would be a great one; whether he find a extremely awesome mission or Mira had some extra hot food leftover from the night before. Happy flew behind him, snickering as he thought of how special that day really was.

Before he could enter the Guild, he was stopped by a smiling Wendy and a frowning Erza. He gulped, wondering what he had done wrong.

"Natsu," Erza began, but Wendy shot her a glance. "Wendy wanted to give you something. I'm watching to see that nothing _bad _happens."

He nodded, and then turned to Wendy, who was holding a bouquet of red roses that mysteriously appeared out of thin air. "Mirajane wanted to make an incentive for Valentine's Day, so she told me to give a bouquet of flowers to each male in Fairy Tail so that they could give it to another girl in the Guild. Isn't that sweet?"

He shrugged, grabbing the bouquet out of her hands. "Who am I meant to give it to?"

This time, it was Happy who spoke. "Natsu, you're meant to give it to a girl that you really _liiiiike_."

Natsu missed the teasing tone in his voice and nodded, walking through the doors of the Guild. He grew more suspicious when he felt heads turn to look at him, but said nothing and walked straight to the bar, sitting beside his favorite blonde Mage, who had her head down on the counter.

"Hello Natsu," Mira said cheerfully, putting away some dishes. "I see that you've gotten the bouquet! Who are you going to give it to?"

Lucy's head snapped up at the words 'Natsu' and 'bouquet'. Curious to know, she turned her head to see Natsu holding a bouquet of red roses. Natsu? Red roses? She questioned her mental stability once more when she saw the image.

"Yeah, I got the dumb flowers," Natsu muttered passively. "I don't get why we have to get them though. But Happy said that I'm meant to give it to someone I like so..."

He turned to Lucy, and all the members of the Guild turned their heads to watch the scene. Those who had bet on Valentine's had wide grins on their faces, already picturing their boasting. Lucy sucked in a breath, wondering if it was all a dream.

"Lucy, can you take these for me?" he asked, and Lucy was tempted to pinch herself. "Since I like you like a best friend, it would be fine, right?"

His final comment felt like a blow to the chest. Lucy gaped, while her nakama were tempted to either: shout at Natsu for being so dense, _hit_ Natsu for being so dense or face-palm at how _dense _he was.

Lucy was stupefied for a moment, before she shook her head and stood up from her seat. Natsu watched her in confusion. "Sorry Natsu, but I'm not going to accept a bouquet of _roses _because I'm like your _sister_. You're quite oblivious to the whole point of Valentine's Day, aren't you?"

He furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean by that?"

She shook her head and sighed disappointedly. "Never mind. But just saying, even though I'm not Charle, I see a bleak future ahead for you."

With that, she began her leave. She took one step, but was stopped when an arm wrapped around her shoulders. She looked up to see Gray smiling down at her, a bouquet of roses in his hand. "Hey Lucy, would you accept these roses from me?"

She smiled graciously but shook her head. "I'm sorry Gray, but I'm not going to accept anymore roses from the Guild today," she replied, shaking off his arm and grabbing him by the shoulders. Gray was surprised when Lucy turned him around to face Juvia. "Also, I believe that you're offering those roses to the wrong girl. Now, goodbye everyone! I'll see you once this horrible day is over!"

It was her nakama's turn to be left stupefied by her actions, all of them gaping as she left the Guild. They then turned back to Gray and Juvia, the former looking startled and the latter looking overjoyed.

A few of the girls smiled, all of them knowing that they would have a better chance of winning after that day.

Natsu glared at the door then moved his gaze back to the roses in his hand. Without any mercy, he set them alight, watching as the deep red flowers burned into ash. Thoughts swirled in his head as he wondered what Lucy's words had meant.

**..O..**

Valentine's Day, to the surprise (and disappointment) of many, turned out _not _to be '_Confession Day_'. After that, those who were left standing began recruiting allies. Those who were knocked out joined the survivors, intent on not just getting a small portion of the money, but to _finally _get '_The Couple_' together after months of endless obliviousness.

Lucy had a sneaking suspicion that her nakama were doing something behind her back, yet she didn't have any proof. '_Innocent until proven guilty,_' she thought, every time they would sneak a glance at her then whisper.

Days turned into weeks, and soon, a few months flew by. Soon enough, it was the 30th of June; the day before Lucy's birthday.

Mirajane smiled as she looked at the calendar. The day after was what she considered the day of reckoning. It was just a gut feeling, but she _knew _that Lucy's birthday would be '_Confession Day_'. Better for her, only a few people had bet on it; those who she considered some of the most perceptive within the Guild.

She then sighed as her thoughts drifted to those almost equal of fairytales. In the end, the two would be together, and she would have a wonderful little pile of cash and the rights to brag that she knew it _all along_.

**..O..**

Lucy woke up to the rays of the sunrise hitting her face. She took one look out her window before slamming her head back onto the pillow, groaning. It was _far _too early for her to be awake. She _never _woke up that early. What special occasion was there...

Oh wait.

She sat up once more as the realization came to her. It was _her birthday_. Her _**birthday**_!

She scrambled out of her bed to see a gift already waiting on her desk. She grinned wildly and grabbed it, shaking the red package before opening. She heard some items rustle inside, and her grin went wider. Laying it down, she tore at the wrapping paper like a vicious animal.

She couldn't suppress the squeal that she made as she hugged her present – books by some of Fiore's most influential authors – to her chest. The bubbly feeling inside of her didn't cease that morning.

**..O..**

She practically skipped to the Guild from her apartment, not trying to hide her extremely joyful mood. She was greeted a few times by local townspeople that she had become acquainted with, and she couldn't have been happier.

Since coming to the Guild, she looked forward to her birthday.

She slammed the front door open, but was shocked to find what was inside. Or well... what _wasn't_.

The Guild was in fact, quite barren. Not a soul in sight. Lucy's happiness deflated at the sight, the question 'where were they?' echoing through her mind. She thought about it rationally. Maybe they were still setting up for a party to celebrate, or something across those lines?

A lone figure stepped out from the shadows, a familiar full-toothed grin spread across his face.

"Hey Lucy," he said, his tone questioning. Lucy couldn't fight the small, appreciative smile creeping onto her face. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "Nothing really. The guild seems too empty though. It's really suspicious."

He shrugged. "Mira told me that they all had to go out upon Master's orders. Dunno why though. I mean, I'm not there, so it's probably something stupid."

A beat. "... Alright then. Hey Natsu," said boy perked up. "Do you know if anything special is happening today?" she asked pathetically, hoping that the Dragon Slayer would not detect her anticipating tone.

Natsu stared at her oddly. "... Special?" he asked, putting on his 'thinking' face. "Hmm... Is there something special going on? I'm not sure... Maybe it has something to do with everyone going. Was there supposed to be some special training session or something?"

Lucy fought the urge to frown. She felt as if she were punch in the gut by Gajeel. "No. It's probably my imagination. Don't worry about it."

"Cool," he stated simply, his grin never fading. "So Lucy, since it's just the two of us, you wanna go do something?"

"...What?"

He repeated his words slowly. "I asked if you wanted to hang out. The two of us. You up for it?"

She shook her head. "Sorry Natsu... I – I think I might just head home and finish a couple more chapters of my book, if that's alright with you," she stated, trying to hide her disappointment. She spun on her heel and began walking. "Hope you have a good day Natsu."

Her wrist was caught by a calloused hand, and she paused mid-step. She slowly angled her head to see Natsu staring at her with an enigmatic expression. She looked at him quizzically. He then shook his head slightly and smiled at her. "C'mon Lucy! It'll be fun! You're always writing chapters for your book! Go outside! Breathe in the fresh Magnolian air!"

She shook her head once more, trying to stifle the small grin that crept onto her face. After a moment's hesitation, she sighed and turned around, walking to the doorway of the Guild. Natsu's hand hadn't let go yet, as it was his turn to look at her questioningly. She turned her head slightly and gave him a smile. "You want me to go out with you today, then fine! But you have to take me to the bookstore first!"

He grumbled, but was secretly praising himself for managing that little feat. He had managed to keep everything a surprise so far. He himself was surprised at how easily Lucy could have been fooled. He was going to give her the best birthday she'd ever seen.

As they exited the building, some Fairy Tail members peeked from each of their inconspicuous covers and smiled. All of them believed that the end was near.

**..O..**

They lay under the old Tree, both not speaking a word as they lay in comfortable silence. After Lucy's shopping spree at the bookstore (where Natsu had 'happily volunteered' to pay for her items), they bought a few edible items and thus began a picnic at their favorite hangout spot sans Fairy Tail.

She stayed silent, nibbling on the juicy red apple that she had bought. Silently, she was berating herself for doing all this with him. It was almost like...

A _date_.

She didn't notice how Natsu would every so often glance at her, a fond smile working its way to his face. He hoped that she was enjoying, as he was already mourning the loss of his food supply money. But, even so, he couldn't help but be happy at seeing her happy.

They stayed in silence for a while, Lucy's mood deflating rapidly. She knew that she shouldn't be _too _selfish, but she wondered exactly _when_ Natsu would actually realize what special occasion it was. She noted how the sun was already setting, and silently asked herself how much time had passed. Her special day was near ending.

"Hey Natsu, don't you think that we should be heading back by now?" she asked, expecting a murmur or quick reply. At hearing silence, she turned her head back to see the pink-haired dragon slayer watching her intently. "Natsu?"

She froze when she noticed him inching closer to her. "Lucy, do you remember Valentine's Day, when I gave you those roses? Then after, you rejected it and said that I'm oblivious about the whole point of the day. Remember all that?"

She gulped, nervous at where the conversation was leading. "Yeah... I remember. I definitely remember all that."

He paused when their faces was only an inch away from each other. She could feel his warm breath hitting her face, and reddened like a ripe cherry tomato, but stayed silent. Seeing her anxious, he smiled. "I realized what it meant."

She could honestly say that after New Year's, she was _not _expecting a _second _kiss from the pink-haired idiot, so it was quite the surprise when she felt a pair of lips on her own in the next second. Her eyes were wide, though they gradually closed them as she returned the action.

She never knew that he could treat something so _gently_, her views heavily impacted from the amount of havoc he had caused in the past. As they kissed, she felt him brush her hair behind her ear. With him treating her like _that_, itwas enough to think that it was all a delusional dream.

They parted, the taste of spice and fire leaving her lips. She whimpered, saddened by the loss. She heard him chuckle as he rested his forehead against hers, murmuring softly. "Happy Birthday Lucy."

"Give me those Jewels! Guess who was right all along? I was! I was! Who was the one that called it from the beginning? Me! Me! Me!" a cheerful voice called from behind some bushes. Natsu and Lucy broke away from each other and looked suspiciously at the clump of bushes, not as surprised as originally though when some of their nakama began popping out.

"Shut up Mira-nee! You forget that a few others won this as well! You'll have to share the winnings!" Lisanna shouted, playfully whacking her sister on the arm. Mira barely noticed, continuing to do a joyful dance.

"Great! Enough money for more booze! Mira, gimme some drinks now!"

"Juvia is so surprised! Juvia didn't know that Lucy-san liked the pink-haired baka! Now that Lucy is not love rivals with Juvia, Juvia and Lucy can be friends!"

"As long as this doesn't hold us up during missions, it'll be fine for you two to be together. It took you both long enough really. Now where's that money..."

"Lu-chan! Congratulations about all this! It took you guys _way _too long to realize! I mean, _everyone _in the Guild already had it figured out, including me! And since I guessed right as well, I wonder how many books I can get with that money..."

Lucy fumed, marching over to the six ecstatic women. "All six of you bet on _us _getting together?"

Mira laughed. "Oh don't be silly Lucy! It wasn't just the six of us! We're the six that just became richer! Practically _everyone _in the Guild was involved in this! That's why we've all accumulated a nice sum of Jewels! Shame for the rest of them though, but remember Lucy! I was the one who originally called it _way _back then!"

Lucy blushed and stepped away from the crazy people. She bumped into something and looked up to see a grinning Natsu. "Congrats to you guys then! How about you all go back and brag to everyone at the Guild! We'll be right behind ya."

They all exchanged knowing smiles. "Alright Natsu," Erza replied. "Just don't do anything _too _bad with each other, alright? Remember, you're in _public_."

Lucy spluttered and began spitting out nonsense as the other girls merely laughed and walked. Natsu spun Lucy around and planted another kiss on her lips, effectively shutting her up. A few moments and he parted from her. "Y'know Lucy, I'm really starting to enjoy this!"

She smiled fondly and made a grab for his hand as they both began walking. She leaned closer to him, believing that day to be the best birthday she'd ever had. "Same. Let's see how this lasts, alright?"

**..O..**

The six women burst through the Guild, their grins not faltering. At seeing them so happy, the rest of them groaned, in anguish over the loss of their precious Jewels. As some began fishing through their pockets for their debt, Mira cleared her throat.

"How long do you think those two will last?" she asked, winking at them in a teasing manner. The mages all glanced at each other, already knowing where her suggestion was headed. "Who wants to place their bets?"


End file.
